New year, same embarrassment. All that momentum from last year is gone now. This team might as well be starting over. Yet again MSU is completely unprepared on opening day and yet again MSU gets their butts handed to them by a clearly inferior team, both staples of Croom coached teams. I wanted to believe, I really did, but this is year 5 . . . and Croom still doesn't seem to know what he is doing.
What a difference a year makes. At the start of last year I thought Carlson had to be one of the worst kickers in Div IA. Then he went 10/13 on field goals and kicked a career long game winner against Ole Miss. Clearly I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I still can't say Carlson is entirely reliable outside of about 35-40 yards, but he is very good inside that range.
McAdams needs to get better. He wasn't terrible last year, but wasn't a world beater either. The problem with McAdams was his consistency. He'd kick a 50 yarder and immediately follow it up with a 24 yard shank. Hopefully he has corrected that problem.
Bonner and Elliot take over kick return duties. They should bring some speed and elusiveness that was missing wit the likes of Justin Williams returning kicks last year.
Pegues will again be the punt returner and in case you didn't know, he is pretty good in that role. His touchdown return against Ole Miss last year probably kept that game from being a loss.
Grade: 6.5/10
Carlson is certainly improved and has to have a boatload more confidence after winning the Ole Miss. You have to hope McAdams sees similar improvement but for now he is just average. The kick returners last year were downright bad. It should be better this year but its hard to say for sure. We already know what Pegues can do.
Derek Pegues is undoubtedly the star of this outstanding group of safeties. He is a touch smaller than your average safety but that didn't seem to hurt him one bit last year. Time after time he came up with the big play that the defense needed and was named the MVP of the Liberty Bowl. I don't know if you can say he is shutting down one half of the field, but it is getting close to that point. Quarterbacks are certainly making sure they know where he is at.
Keith Fitzhugh will get the other starting nod, but him and De'Mon Glanton are almost co-starters. You can switch them in and out with no dropoff. Fitzhugh primarily plays SS and will lay some big hits on the opponent. Glanton moves around alot. Mississppi State will play him at safety and will also move him up to the line of scrimmage, sometimes like an extra linebacker and sometimes like a nickel cornerback.
Zach Smith backs up Pegues after playing a key role as a true freshman last year. He didn't make alot of plays last year, but he didn't let anyone behind him either. Thats all you can ask of a true freshman. Chris Nance has been moved from corner to provide some depth and Charles Mitchell will likely be getting his feet wet right away. He is too good not to have on the field and gaining experience.
The corners aren't as strong as the safeties, but still a good group. Jasper O'Quinn started out last year as a backup but eventually took away the starting spot from Marcus Washington. He didn't make many plays on the ball but did keep everything in front of him. Not a standout but he won't get you beat either. Washington is a speedy corner and a very good tackler. The big problem last year was he got beat deep far too often. He was only a sophomore though so I have hopes he will have corrected, or at least improved in that area.
Tay Bowser is an unusual cornerback, standing at 6'3. Anything over 6 foot is extremely tall for your typical cornerback. 6'3 might as well be a giant. Bowser has been decent in the snaps he has played, but like Washington he has let receiver get behind him too often. Damien Anderson will back up the other CB spot. The coaches seem to like him, saying he has starter level ability. We'll find out very quickly.
Grade: 8.5/10
This group of safeties is one of the best in the country, and that isn't me being a homer. I have confidence in the two starting cornerbacks. The two reserve cornerbacks could be shaky but the play of the safeties should be able to mask some of that weakness. Everyone in this group can tackle, even the corners.
Chaney returns to lead a very good LB corp. Last year Chaney led the team in tackles and I would expect this year to be no different. He is probably better at playing the run than pass (what linebacker isn't?) but he'll frequently be put into zone coverage.
Douglas was an unheralded JUCO recruit but he won the starting job and immediately became an integral part of the defense. He might be the fastest linebacker and was the only linebacker to frequently make plays in the opponent's backfield last year, partially due to the fact of how the linebackers were used.
K.J Wright replaces Gabe O'Neal after seeing limited time as a reserve last year. The coaches have raved about him saying he might be the best linebacker they've had when all is said and done. We'll see. He is a little light but he's long and fast and is supposedly very good when used to blitz the quarterback.
Anthony Littlejohn returns to bring a wealth of experience as a reserve. He has never been spectacular but will give the starters a valuable breather every now and then. Jamie Jones has impressed Croom in fall practices, leading Croom to say he is good enough to start right now. The rest of the group are unknowns.
Grade: 7.5/10
The starting 3 are one of the best groups in the SEC. Last year they were rarely used to blitz the quarterback. I expect that to change this year with the lack of an established pass rusher on the DL. Wright and Douglas will likely be sent after the quarterback often. Depth is a little iffy. Littlejohn and Jones are both quality reserves, but there doesn't appear to be a 3rd backup, unless Terrell Johnson steps up. Even so, 5 quality linebackers is nothing to sneeze at.
This unit is the big question mark on the defense, more specifically the defensive ends. Tim Bailey has locked up one DE spot. The other spot is up for grabs between Cortez McCraney, Brandon Cooper, Jimmie Holmes, and surprisingly Sean Ferguson.
Bailey was rotated in frequently and was generally effective. As you can see with his 0 sacks, he wasn't getting to the quarterback much. This is a theme you see throughout the DL. Cooper came on in the spring and fall practices before getting injured and allowing others to catch him in the race to start. Holmes played alot last year and was very good early on, but sort of faded as the year went on. He might be the best pass rusher of the bunch. McCraney will get alot of playing time at DE, but will also be used at DT, maybe even moreso at DT. Burns will be used the same way, although probably not as much as McCraney. Ferguson is the wild card of the group. In fact he has been so impressive that he is going to start against Louisiana Tech. I'm a bit leery considering he weighs only 220 pounds or so. That is just too light. With his size and being a true freshman, I'm expecting he'll start wearing down after a few games and be moved down the depth chart. He should still be at least a valuable reserve.
On the other hand, DT is all set. Both starters return in Bowman and Love. They're very similar players, both being mammoth run stuffers. This duo should be a force against the interior run. The downside is neither one will get after the quarterback much or disrupt plays in the backfield. They're going to eat up blocks and clog the middle of field and not much else.
LaMarcus Williams is the primary backup. He saw significant playing time as a true freshman and was more than adequate. Williams, Bowman, and Love make a very capable 3 man rotation. Odoms is the fourth DT, but he has been uninspiring in practices. Having only 3 DTs really ready to play would be a concern, except as I already mentioned McCraney and Burns will be used as DTs some of the time as well.
Grade: 6.5/10
The DT group is going to be a force against the run, or at least the interior run. The big question is will this group be able to pressure the quarterback? A couple of guys are going to have to step up and be the guys that consistently get after the QB.
Derek Sherrod was scheduled to start at RT until Michael Brown was kicked off the team. Now Sherrod will be the LT a year ahead of schedule. As a true freshman, Sherrod was the backup RT and stole more and more time from J.D Hamilton. By the Liberty Bowl, they were splitting snaps nearly 50-50. It would have been nice to let Sherrod grow another year at RT, but Mississippi State doesn't have that luxury. Derek Sherrod looks like a future NFL draft pick and will probably be better than Michael Brown, but it may not be this year.
Anthony Strauder started at LG last year and will continue that role this year. He has tons of experience, easily the most of the OL, and is solid at his position. Combine him with Sherrod and the left side of the line looks very strong.
J.C. Brignone will take over at center after he beat out Johnny Carpenter in the spring. He has some experience as a reserve guard and is probably more talented than the departed Royce Blackledge. He doesn't have the experience that Blackledge had which will likely hurt him in the short run.
Michael Gates takes over at RG after splitting time with Craig Jenkins last year. Jenkins was the starter at the beginning of last year, but Gates eventually took the job from him late in the year and has never relinquished it.
Finally, Mark Melichar gets the nod at RT. He backed up Brown at LT last year. If there is a weakness in the starting 5 this may be it.
Start looking at the depth and things get shaky. Jenkins is a quality backup at both guard positions but everyone else is mostly a question mark. Addison Lawrence, D.J Looney, and Quentin Saulsberry have obviously never played a down, although Saulsberry might be pretty good as he was neck and neck with Melichar for the starting RT spot until the final week of practice. Spencer has been around a while but has bounced around from guard, to center, and finally to tackle.
Grade: 6.5/10
I want to give a 7/10, but the 2nd string group is too much of an unknown to do so. I really like the first team OL though. If they stay relatively injury free I see them having a fairly good year. On the other hand if a couple injuries occur, especially to Sherrod, this group could get derailed fast.
That isn't much production returning. I suppose that would be the story of this group: heavy with upperclassmen (3 seniors and a fourth year junior) but low on production so far.
Jamayel Smith, a former walk-on, takes Burks' place as the #1 receiver. He's decent but wholly unspectacular. Smith did have one ridiculous game against Arkansas: 10 receptions for 208 yards and 2 TDs. That seems to be an anomaly rather than some indicator of potential. As you can see the bulk of his stats came in that one game. He'll be steady, but Smith won't scare any defenses.
Co-Eric Riley came in very highly rated out of JUCO and as you can see from the stats, didn't live up to his billing. MSU desperately needs that to change this year. Riley has the talent, now we need to see it on the field. He showed some flashes in the very limited playing time he was given last year.
Aubrey Bell is a big 6'3 receiver. He'll be fighting Riley for that second starting spot and could very well win. He seems to have decent hands and uses his body well to beat defenders, but then I've only seen 14 catches. Its hard to know what to expect.
Brandon McRae is another tall receiver at 6'4. He transferred in from Morehead St. two years ago. Last spring the coaches raved about him, but come gametime he never showed up. The coaches have been building him up again during spring and fall practices, but I'm not so easily fooled this time. I need to see something from McRae in a game before I can get excited.
Delmon Robinson has been a surprise freshman in fall practice. He's one of those short, quick slot receivers we've seen more and more of with the proliferation of the spread. MSU will need something from him because having just 4 receivers isn't going to cut it.
The tight end position is completely inexperienced. Nelson Hurst and Marcus Green have never played a down at the college level. Brandon Henderson played only a handful of snaps last year, almost all coming on special teams. What I'm saying is I have no idea what to expect, nobody has seen any of these guys play. Everyone is excited about Marcus Green because of the athleticism he brings as a former running back, but can he block? Can he run routes? I don't know. The coaching staff has said that TE is no longer a concern for them after see them practice, so there is that.
Grade: 5/10
That may be harsh, but it is very hard to give a higher grade due mostly to the fact that this is a complete unknown. Essentially, MSU does not have a TE on the roster that has ever played a down of college football. How am I supposed to evaluate them? Similarly McRae, Riley, and Bell have seen so little playing time up to this point that it is hard to know how they'll do now that they are the ones being counted on to make plays. Smith is about the only player we have seen extensively, and the word you come away with after watching him is . . . meh. Basically, this position is just a big "?". Could be good, could be bad. We have to wait and see.
This is easily the strength of the offense. Anthony Dixon has a death grip on the starting position and rightfully so. He is a monster at somewhere between 235 and 240 pounds. While he is more apt to run over the defender, Dixon has above average speed and quickness especially for his size. His yds/att looks poor, but that is in part due to the type of back he is. Dixon just pounds on the defense, wearing them down. As you can see, Dixon was pretty much the whole offense last year accounting for a whopping 16 touchdowns. One weakness Dixon must overcome is his propensity to dance in the backfield. Too many times on 4th and 1 he wasted time juking noone in particular behind the line of scrimmage and running horizontally, negating his strength and size advantage. He was just a sophomore though, and if he starts hitting the hole immediately he could go from a good to a great running back.
Christian Ducre came out of nowhere last year to be a very good #2 back. He is essentially a slightly less talented version of Dixon, preferring to run through the defense than around them. He'll be used to give Dixon a breather but may lose some carries to redshirt freshman Robert Elliot. Elliot was a blue chipper coming out of high school, getting offered by the likes of Florida State and Georgia. He had problems fumbling the football in practices and like most freshman RBs, struggled with pass blocking, thus the redshirt. Supposedly he has corrected those problems and is ready to play. Elliot isn't the bruisers that Dixon and Ducre are. He has a touch more speed and quickness to him. The problem is, how do you get him the ball? He isn't taking Dixon's spot and it is hard to replace Ducre who has already proven himself, but if he is as good as the hype MSU needs to get him some touches somehow.
Wade Bonner was moved from safety to running back in the spring due to the fact he "has too much athleticism" not to be on the field. Along with Elliot he is supposed to bring more speed and explosiveness to the running backs. Unless there are injuries though, I can't see him playing much.
Brandon Hart and Eric Hoskins are a rarity in today's game of football, true fullbacks. They'll basically be co #1s at FB, splitting time pretty much 50-50. They'll mostly be a lead blocker but will see a pass or two thrown their way a game. Stallworth was moved to FB due to too much depth at HB. He is only around 205 pounds so I don't know how effective he can be as a lead blocker. They might use him situationally as more of a receiving fullback.
Grade: 8/10
One note, if Robert Elliot does live up to the hype, I would bump this up to a 9/10. Dixon and Ducre will continue to pound on defenses hoping to leave them worn out in the 4th quarter. Elliot is an unknown still, but the coaches seem high on him and want to get him involved in the gameplan.
Finally, the wait is over. Only five short days until Mississippi State kicks the season off against La Tech. Only three days until the 2008 season begins. I've missed you football. I can't wait to get reacquainted. With that said, I waited too long to start rolling out these previews. Don't know if I'll get through them, but we'll give it a shot.
QB Depth Chart
Wesley Carroll So.
Tyson Lee Jr.
Chris Relf RFr.
2007 Stats
Name
Comp.
Att.
%
Yds
TD
Int
Rush
Yds
TD
Wesley Carroll
134
255
52.5
1392
9
7
47
67
0
Tyson Lee
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Chris Relf
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Wesley Carroll got thrown into the fire last year and performed admirably. True his numbers weren't eye popping and he looked better than he actually was due to following in the footsteps of one of the worst quarterbacks in all of Div I in the last decade. However he was a true freshman that was expecting to redshirt until injuries to the QBs in front of him changed all that. Despite that, he was still able to lead Mississippi State to its first bowl game in six years.
Carroll does not have a very strong arm nor is his accuracy outstanding at this point, but he does make good decisions with the football. While he is no Vince Young, Carroll can also hurt a team with his feet and can usually make at least one guy miss when he needs to. Carroll's biggest strength was also Henig's biggest weakness, and thats his intangibles, all of them. He is a natural leader and has the respect of his teammates. You can just see that he has command of the huddle. When there is a big play or a key first down, Carroll is the first one there congratulating his teammate. Finally, Carroll is just clutch. I don't know what it is but the guy turns it up a notch when he needs to.
Tyson Lee has the backup spot all locked up. The coaches have been impressed with him and say they intend to play him, in what capacity we don't know. Like Carroll he is mobile and his biggest weakness is probably his height. Lee is only around 5'10. He put up big numbers in JUCO but we won't know how that translates until he gets on the field.
Chris Relf simply isn't ready to play. He is yet another mobile quarterback that is said to have the running style of Anthony Dixon. Unfortunately his accuracy throwing the ball has been terrible in all of the scrimmages. If MSU has to start Relf for any significant amount of time, the season is lost.
Grade: 6/10
Carroll doesn't wow you with his physical ability, but he is a smart quarterback that isn't prone to turnovers and can bring some versatility with his ability to run it. Thats fine as it seems that is all Croom is really looking for, a caretaker rather than a playmaker. Tyson Lee was impressive in JUCO and has been impressive in practices so I'm cautiously optimistic. The biggest downside is that beyond those two, there isn't much to work with.
-Derek Pegues and Karlin Brown have been suspended for the La Tech game for missing too many classes during the spring semester. Brown's loss is inconsequential but unless you've been living in a cave somewhere, you know Pegues' is not. However safety is one position loaded with quality depth in Glanton and Zach Smith. Smith will likely get the start against Tech. Losing Pegues is a blow but if Mississippi State really is going to be any good this year, they should still be able to win that first game without him.
-Jamon Hughes has decided to transfer to Memphis instead of taking Croom up on his walk-on offer. Can't say I blame him, sit out a year as a walk-on or sit out a year on scholarship at Memphis? Easy decision. Sucks, but linebackers should be fine next year even without him.
-Johnny Carpenter has decided to leave football due to chronic pain in his shoulder. The RS Jr was running 2nd string at G when he left the team. Both eligibilitycharts have been updated.
-True freshman Tobias Smith has been one of the standouts in fall camp. He had been so impressive that he was looking at being one of the backup guards with the departure of Carpenter. Unfortunately he injured his ankle, requiring surgery that will sideline him for the season. With Carpenter and Smith both gone, depth on the OL is starting to get a little thinner than coaches would probably like.
Broomfield's other offers were from Georgia Southern, Iowa State, and Cincinnati. He had 70 tackles and 2 interceptions his junior year. As a senior he had 5 interceptions, returned for 160 yards and 2 TDs.
First of all, Broomfield will have to put on some weight, at least a good 15 pounds. From the ESPN evaluation:
Very quick and fluid athlete. . . Ball skills are good. At his best planting and driving on underneath routes; closes the cushion and jumps routes exceptionally well. . .Speed and overall range as a run supporter are good. . . is a strong, sound open-field tackler. . . main concern when projecting for the next level is his man-to-man skills when matched up on top receivers and his overall recovery speed; he appears quicker than fast. . .
I don't think he'll factor in too much outside of special teams this year. We'll see what he does down the road.
Arceto Clark
Ht: 5'10 Wt: 165
Scout
*** #31 CB, #10 in Mississippi
Rivals
**
ESPN
77 #37 CB
Clark had an offer from Ole Miss and Clemson. 30 tackles and 3 interceptions as a junior.
Clark, in all likelihood, will end up at CB, but it's possible he could play WR. As a junior he had 56 catches for 1,090 yards and 10 touchdowns. The ESPN evaluation reads very similar to Broomfield's: more quick than fast, plays the ball well when its in the air, best at jumping underneath routes, etc.
I could see Clark playing this year, especially if there is an injury or two.
Louis Watson
Ht: 5'10 Wt: 168
Scout
** #132 CB
Rivals
**
ESPN
73 #72 CB
I can actually give you a video for a change. I strongly suggest you turn off the sound.
Watson had offers from Marshall, UAB, Houston, Purdue, Louisville, and Colorado. 43 tackles, 6 interceptions, and a kick returned for a touchdown as a junior. 65 tackles and 6 interceptions as a senior.
Like Broomfield and Clark, Watson is more of a Cover-2 cornerback than a man-to-man guy. He can obviously make the big play and will probably be given a shot at the kick/punt return duties, if not this year then next. Like Clark, I can see Watson contributing this year, and not just on special teams.
Charles Mitchell
Ht: 5' 11 Wt: 190
Scout
**** #298 overall, #22 S, #7 in Mississippi
Rivals
**** #162 overall, #10 S, #5 in Mississippi
ESPN
81 #93 overall, #10 Athlete
Mitchell held offers from Southern Miss, Memphis, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Michigan, and Alabama. Mitchell played corner in high school (as well as runningback) where he had 108 tackles and 3 interceptions his junior year. As a senior he had 78 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
As you can easily tell, Mitchell is probably the best player in this class. He'll be a safety at Mississippi State, but he still has all the skills you'd expect to find in a corner. From the ESPN evaluation:
This guy is a helluva football player and is capable of playing any skill position on the field at the next level. Mitchell is a handful at running back, wide receiver and cornerback. He plays the game in every area with a linebacker mentality. . . Defensively, Mitchell plays corner with a safety mentality. He has very good size, is fluid, shows a smooth pedal and the plant skills to close quickly. He has exceptional ball skills-- a natural playmaker on the ball. . . Top end speed and athleticism is evident and his best days of football are definitely ahead of him. Outstanding prospect that will continue to garner much deserved attention throughout his senior year.
Mitchell looks to be Pegues' successor, and if he lives up to his abilities he will be just as good. With three safeties graduating this year, Mitchell will need to be ready to play as a sophomore. He'll see playing time this year to get him ready.
Overall Grade: B+/A- I took the easy way out and straddled the fence. MSU got the replacement for Pegues they needed in Charles Mitchell. They could have used another safety in this class unless they plan on moving Wade Bonner back there at some point. In which case I don't know why they moved him to RB in the first place, but that is another story. The three corners aren't eye popping, but they all had decent offers and will have time to develop and slowly get experience.
Since I need to wrap this up, I'm throwing the final member of the 2008 class, a punter, in here:
Baker Swedenburg
Ht: 5'11 Wt: 175
Scout
**
Rivals
** #24 K
ESPN
78 #9 K
Swedenburg will grayshirt and join the team in January.
Walters had offers from Louisiana Tech, Tulane, UAB, and Southern Miss. 110 tackles and 4 TFL his senior season.
Bo Walters could end up at either outside or middle linebacker. Its thought he'll eventually be a MLB but in the end he'll go where he is needed. Walters' is quite skilled in pass coverage making him a good fit for the defense. Last year the linebackers were more likely to be put into coverage than blitz on passing situations. Of course, with Charlie Harbison now the DC that could all change. Walters didn't have much in the way of sacks or TFL in high school, but I don't know if that is because he is an ineffective blitzer or that was just the way that defense was designed.
Michael Hunt
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 220
Scout
**
Rivals
*** #46 S, #16 in Mississippi
ESPN
74 #62 S
Held an offer from Ole Miss. Hunt had 60 tackles and 3 interceptions his senior year. He originally signed in 2007 but grayshirted to get his grades in order.
While Hunt was a safety in high school, he'll be a LB at Mississippi State. Hunt was a hard-hitting safety and is a very good tackler. I would imagine it will take some time to adjust to the new position so he seems like a candidate for a redshirt.
Antonio Hoskins
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 212
Scout
*** #28 SLB
Rivals
**
ESPN
75 #74 OLB
Hoskins didn't qualify. He will grayshirt and join the team in January.
Rashun Dixon
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 210
Scout
*** #84 WR, #11 in Mississippi
Rivals
**** #19 S, #8 in Mississippi
ESPN
62 #258 WR
Yes this is the brother of Anthony Dixon. Unfortunately for Mississippi State, he is also an outstanding baseball player. Dixon was drafted by the Oakland A's in the 10th round of the MLB draft and signed the offered contract.
Overall Grade: B I'm grading as if all 4 would be on campus which they obviously won't. MSU could have really used Hoskins this year as they're a little thin in terms of pure numbers at LB. Walters looks to be the successor of Jamar Chaney. Hunt will probably need a year, maybe 2, before he is ready to contribute but should bring a mean streak when he gets on the field.
Templeton Hardy had offers from pretty much everybody, including: Auburn, Tennessee, UCLA, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and Southern Cal. An impressive list to say the least. As a junior, Hardy recorded 148 tackles, 28 TFL, and 9 sacks. Hardy followed that up with a simply ridiculous 173 tackle effort his senior year.
In high school Hardy played on both OL and DL and many people thought he was actually better on the OL. He could end up at either DT or OT at Mississippi State. I'm sure the staff will try him out at both positions and see which works out better. While Hardy is certainly the jewel of this class (or one of them), don't be expecting much as a freshman. He happens to play one of those positions, whether it be on the OL or at DT, at which you rarely see production out of freshman. Once he spends a year or two in the training program, he should be a foundation on whichever side of the ball he winds up on.
Josh Jackson
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 285
Scout
*** #45 DT, #15 in Mississippi
Rivals
*** #31 DT, #14 in Mississippi
ESPN
77 #46 DT
Jackson's other offers were from Jackson State, Southern Miss, and Ole Miss. 84 tackles and 14 sacks his junior year. 102 tackles and 15 sacks his senior year.
One interesting sidenote on Jackson. I've seen his weight reported anywhere between 273 and 294. Now, reported weights inevitably vary from one source to the next but still, 21 pounds is a tad extreme.
Overall Grade: A Hardy was wanted by everybody and although Jackson didn't have an outstanding offer list, he is fairly highly rated. Since all three services agree, I tend to put a little more stock in the rating. Combine these two with the DEs in this class and the DL as a whole looks to be in great shape in the future.
